You're Not Alone
by AmbroseLunatic
Summary: Hannah is a 14 year old girl, surviving the apocalypse on her own, after both her parents died. Hannah returns to her home after she makes a quick run, and comes back to find a boy in her kitchen, trying to take not only her food, but her 120 Oz of chocolate pudding. Can Hannah trust the boy (Carl) and leave the home she grew up in for a new life? Carl Grimes/ OC Hannah
1. Chapter 1

It hadn't been this calm in months, or maybe it never even was. The sun was bright, and warm against my skin, which glistened with sweat making my hair stick to my face. I walked up to the small creek hidden behind bushes and trees, and kneeled down, cupping some water in my hands and splashing it against my face. It felt refreshing, and tasted even more so. I licked my lips, tasting the creek water. I craved the coolness of it against my tongue, and for it to run down my throat, and so I reached down bringing another hand of water to my lips, this time I let it sit in my mouth, savoring the flavor of the dirty water before I swallowed it. In that moment everything was perfect. In that moment the walkers didn't exist, and the world was peaceful once again. I was a young fifteen year old girl without a care in the world, and for a moment, just a small moment in this miserable broken world, I was free.

But that wasn't this life, that life was long gone, and with that foul hissing noise behind me, my stomach muscles tightened, and the hair on the back of my neck, and arms stood on end. I reached for my knife, remembering everything my mom taught me before she died. I had to grow up fast, and learn as much as I could from her, and from others. I'm not going to lie, it was, and still is hard.

I tried to mellow out my breathing, and gather my surroundings, it was quiet once again, but I did not move from my position behind the bushes. I was prepared for a fight, if need be. A few more quiet seconds, and I had decided it was time to head back to the house that my parents had raised me in.

It was a nice neighborhood at one point in time, the kind where children gathered outside afterschool and on the weekends and played outside all day long, or where parents would gather and gossip for hours while they sipped lemonade in the front yards. As I walked down the streets, exhausted, hungry, and filthy, I imagined life back then. Everything was peaceful. Ashley Marrow would come by on her pink scooter, and ask if I would play with her, and I would gladly tell her, "yes."

I took a step towards my white wood house, and sighed, knowing that I was returning to an empty smelly house, with no family, or anyone to care for me. I was alone, and alone is how I would stay. I had already come to the conclusion that I was the only one left on this planet, a scared, lonely, exhausted fourteen year old girl, and I would most likely die this way.

I grabbed my knife, just like I always did, prepared for Flesh Eaters to come my way. I opened the door, and cleared the entry way, along with the living room. I heard a noise from the kitchen, and shakily made my way there next. I was ready, knife in hand, prepared to stab this thing in the head. I peeked my head around the corner, and my body filled with shock, and emotion that I didn't know could exist in a person before. There was a boy, in my kitchen, reaching for my pudding, a giant can of chocolate pudding, and he was taking it. _No Hannah, it's just your imagination. There is no one there, you want there to be someone there, but there isn't anyone there. _I blinked a few times, I couldn't tell if my mind was deceiving me, or if there really was a boy in my kitchen. I watched him climb up on the chair, then onto the counter, and grab the pudding. He was real!

"Hey!" I said, now fully standing inside the kitchen, my knife pointed in his direction. I scared him, and he turned towards me, a gun drawn pointing at me. Now I felt dump, I would lose this fight in a second. "What are you doing in my house?" I asked, my knife shaking. The boy lowered his gun, but kept it in his hand pointing to the floor. "Sorry, I didn't think anyone lived here anymore. I was looking for food."

"I don't have much food here." I told him, and it was true, there wasn't much there.

"Who are you living with?" He asked, I knew then I had to lie. I had to protect myself, knife still pointed at him. "With my mom." I said. "Where is she then?" He kept asking questions. My mind was racing, and I couldn't think, so I choose to ignore him, and ask one instead. "Where did you come from?"

"It's just me and my dad, we had a group… we were staying at the prison… things got messed up." I knew that look on his face; it was the same one I wore after my parents died. They died protecting me from the flesh eaters. "I'm sorry." What else could I say? We both lost people in this unforgiving world. So there we stood in my kitchen, staring at each other, it was awkward, and maybe it was because I had been alone for so long, or maybe perhaps it was because he was a stranger in my house, trying to take my food, I found myself hoping he would leave, but he didn't.

"So, um, what's your name?" He asked, fixing the sheriffs hat on top of his head, so he could see better, and revealing his sweaty, dirt covered face for the first time. "Hannah." I replied. "I'm Carl Grimes."

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><p><strong>So this is my first TWD fanfic. Just something I was thinking about today while watching TWD reruns, hope you guys like it, and review it. I was going to make this a one shot, but I might turn it into a short fic, what do you guys think?<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow, thanks for everyone who has viewed this, and followed, and Favorited. You guys are awesome!**

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><p>It's really funny how life works. I never really pictured anything bad happening, or to be more specific, the world falling apart. However when it did happen, I never thought I would be here long enough to see it. Now I'm sitting on my roof with a boy I just met, eating chocolate pudding, after being alone for so long, I was starting to wonder if Carl was real, or if I was imagining him.<p>

I suddenly felt nervous, and shy, and I caught myself staring at him. It was in that moment that I noticed how blue his eyes were, and the light freckles across his cheeks and nose. His brown hair was over grown, and swept across his forehead, maybe because of his sheriff's hat. I felt my face heat up, and my stomach felt strange. It was a feeling that I had never had before, it almost felt nice, in a weird sort of way. Then I remembered my mom telling me about puberty, when I had got my first period. I had been so embarrassed; I was at school when it happened. I was only 10. Mom explained that I would start experiencing things with my body, and maybe getting feelings that I didn't understand. She said that I would start liking boys soon, and I would get these feelings, was this what she was talking about?

I wiped my mouth, and adverted my eyes to my lap, where I was twirling the spoon in my hands. I took notice of my heart rate speeding up, and again wondered if it was normal. I felt so confused, and wished my mom was around, so I could ask her these questions. What did these feelings mean? Were they normal? Was it ok to feel like this? Would it go away, or was it something that would last forever?

"Hey, are you alright?" Carl asked, shaking me from my thoughts. "Oh, yeah, um, I'm fine." I didn't know what else to say, and then I wondered if he felt these feelings. Was it different because he was a boy?

"So… it's getting late, and I should probably go back to my dad." Carl paused, looking at me, my throat closed up, and suddenly I felt more thirsty then I really was, maybe it was all the pudding I ate. "You're mom isn't coming back is she?" Carl asked, his gaze held firm onto hers, and for a moment he could see her lip quiver, but she sucked it in. "No." Simple enough answer, and he didn't need further explanation, after all it wasn't that long ago that he too lost his mother. "You don't have to stay here, you know. You can come back with me." Carl's words hung in the air, and for Hannah she didn't know if Carl was her savior, or if he was trying to rip away her only memories of her parents by asking her to leave her house. She had held on for so long, she made it this far on her own, she could make it the rest of the way, but how long would that be? Could she even stand being alone forever with no one to talk to? No company of any kind, surly she would lose her mind before that happened.

"What about your dad? Wouldn't he be upset?" Hannah questioned, her voice soft with an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Go or stay, go or stay?

"No, he would ask you to come back too." Carl answered. Again the dilemma raged in her head, go or stay, go or stay, go or stay?

Hannah nodded her head, "I'll have to pack a bag first."

"Ok, I'll gather the food from the cupboard, and I'll meet you down stairs." Carl said, standing up, and reaching a hand down to the dirty blonde haired girl next to him. She took his hand, took in a breath, _what was this now? _Hannah wondered, feeling a tingling feeling where Carl's hand had been. Not sure of the new feeling, Hannah pulled away, and started to climb through her window. Carl watched her, his eyes easily hidden underneath his hat, before he climbed back through the window.

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><p><strong>I know this is a short one, I will make the next chapter longer if you review! I am also trying to make this an innocent love story between Hannah and Carl. They don't really know or understand what love is, or what their bodies are telling them. Hopefully I am doing a good enough job of this? And what did you guys think of the first episode of season 5? Amazing right? <strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**WoW! So many people are following this story already, amazing! Thank you guys! Also, This chapter will be in Carl's Point Of View. Hopefully you will be able to understand more his side now, and what he is going through. Also, I wont be taking word for word, and play by play from the comic's nor the TV show (obviously) I've read so many stories that are just repeats of what happened in a book, movie or show, and the only thing people add is a new character, I don't really understand the purpose of writing that way. Yes this story is going to have the same "type" of time line, things are going to be a little different, and mixed up. You will see in the next chapter what I'm talking about. Oh and just an apology before, ok, sorry, dont be to mad at me. :D **

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><p><strong><em><span>Chapter Three<span>_**

She seemed so fearful, but at the same time she wasn't; like she was used to the new world with the walkers. She kept her distance from me, but I noticed her look at me from the corner of her eye every once in a while. She had lied about her parents, they were dead, she was afraid of me. I wondered how long she had been alone for, but felt weird asking her, I couldn't understand why though. She was just a girl, she was my age, she had been through a lot, and was surviving alone. I couldn't even imagine going through that alone. I was suddenly thankful that I had a support system around me, had being the key word. After I lost my mom there was Maggie, Beth, Carol, Glenn, Hershel, and Daryl. Daryl lost his mom when he was young, so he knew how I felt.

"Hannah?" I asked, finally feeling courageous enough to ask the question I been wondering the answer to. "Yes." Her voice was quiet, and soft. Something I was only used to hearing whenever Beth spoke. "How long have you been alone?" I knew right away I shouldn't have asked that question. Hannah's eyes grew soft, and her eye lids brimmed with tears. "Sorry, you don't have to answer that." I said. "I know how you feel, though." A sniffle and nod later, Hannah had put on a mask. She was quiet, and again, looked deep in thought about something. I thought it was best to let her think, maybe later she would open up and tell me what was on her mind.

As I was about to open the door, it was pulled open from the other side. Instinct kicked in, and I grabbed my gun, ready to shoot who or whatever was on the other side. "Where the hell have you been?" Rick asked, pulling his son into the house by the collar of his shirt. Carl struggled to get the upper hand, and eventually pushed his father away. Meanwhile, Hannah was left outside, shaking in fear of the beat up man that had taken Carl into the house so forcefully.

"Just stop, and leave me alone. I can take care of myself, I've had to since you've been passed out for two days, I went out and gathered supplies, and found more food." I told him, pulling Hannah into the house, she stood behind me, and I couldn't help but smirk at my dad.

"Doesn't seem like that's the only thing you brought home." Dad said. "I was in her house, and was gathering her food. She came in, and found me. She was living alone, I didn't have a choice; she can't stay on her own."

" Ok, fine. No more going out making runs on your own. We stay together." Rick said. Carl just glared at his father, "C'mon Hannah." Carl said, leading her away from his dad, and into the next room.

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><p>Since dad had taken up residency on the couch, I didn't have a choice but to bring down another mattress for Hannah. I already brought one down for me the first night, and at this point I was looking for anything to keep myself busy, and away from dad. I couldn't help the emotion I was feeling, I was so mad, and angry, and hurt, but how could I explain that to him? He lost the same people I did, and we were both grieving, that I knew. But… there was something else… I couldn't explain it, something else I felt deep inside, and it almost made me feel guilty.<p>

Dad didn't say much more to me, but I noticed he kept looking at me, and at Hannah. I knew he wanted to talk, and part of that made me feel like I had the upper hand in this game. I wanted to prove to him that I could take care of myself, and prove that I didn't need him, and that I could also take care of another person, and keep them alive, which was something he couldn't do.

I started to pull the mattress off the bed, when I heard dad clear his throat, "Mind if we talk for a minute?" He asked. I let go of the mattress, and waited for him to talk, arms folded across my chest. "Talk." I said, his eyes narrowed at me, and I knew I struck a nerve, not like it was the first time, I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "You have something you want to say, you need to say it." Now it was Rick's turn to stand there, father and son staring each other down, pent up energy from both sides splayed between them.

I didn't know what to say to my dad. How could I tell him how pissed off I was, I know it wasn't right of me, since he was going through it too. There was just something else there, something I didn't quite understand. Something I couldn't explain, I just felt so angry. The first day we got to the house, I had been cold to him, but it wasn't entirely my fault. I tied the knot in the door, and he wanted to reinforce it with the couch, it was a strong knot, nothing could get through that. When I brought up Shane, I knew then that I struck a nerve, and from there I kept going, now it just seemed like I was just doing things to piss him off just to do it, and maybe deep down somewhere, there is part of me that _want's _to piss him off.

I shook my head no, "I don't have anything to say to you." That came out harsher then I intended it, but how could he stand there, and expect me to be ok after everything we lost? Maybe he was ok, he let it happen, he had a choice, and he made the wrong one. I wanted to scream, and yell to the top of my lungs until they burst out of my body, and they lay on the floor in front of me. I wanted cry, I wanted… wanted what? I didn't know that either. Everything was just so confusing. I wished in that moment I could be back in my mom's arms. I wanted to be a kid again, so she could hold me, and tell me everything would be ok, but that would never happen, I killed her, and it would never be ok again.

"Go… bring the bed down for Hannah." Dad said, stepping aside so I could get through. I easily brought the twin sized mattress down the stairs, but when I got there Hannah was gone.

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><p><strong>Oh No, where did Hannah go? Let me know what you guys think. Leave me reviews and I will update as soon as I can, I really love hearing what you guys have to say. <strong>

**I'll be pretty busy tomorrow, so more then likely I wont be able to update tomorrow, maybe Friday or Saturday. Reviews makes me happy! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys, just want to apologize for not getting this up sooner, and sorry it's sooooo short. I just wanted to get something up for you guys. I've been super busy with doctors appointments, and stuff just been crazy around here. I had surgery on the 8th on my head, so I've been in and out of Doctors appointments. I finally got good news though, the mass they removed from my head was a tumor but it was benign, YAY! I'm feeling soooo much better now. **

**Also I wont be able to update again until Wednesday at the latest. My grandma died on the 5th, so her funeral in on monday, and we have family coming out and staying with us for a few days. If I have time between then I will definitely update, so for now enjoy this short chapter, I promise I will make it up to you guys in the next chapter, so for now Read and Review because it makes me sooooo happy :)**

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><p><strong><em><span>Chapter Four<span>_**

I checked the whole house, but Hannah was gone, and a sinking feeling washed over me. She was alone again. Maybe she just didn't want to be around us, or maybe she was scared. She had heard nothing but arguing and tension between me and my dad, maybe that scared her off. All I knew was I had to find her, there was a part of me that needed to know she was ok. "I'm going to find her." I told my dad, and started for the back door, which had become our main point of entry.

"No." Rick said, placing a firm hand on his son's chest, and pulling him back. "I'll go, you've done enough here."

"But dad…"

"Carl, I said no."

"You can hardly walk, at least let me go with you." Carl pleaded.

"You stay here, she might come back. You can fix this place up, make the bed or something." With that, Rick was off, leaving Carl alone with his thoughts, and a living room filled with beds and sheets.

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><p>I tried, for a long time…. I tried… it wasn't easy. I think back to when it all began, I woke up in a hospital bed, and there was nothing…. just … nothing. The smell of death, and decay, and feeling completely alone and afraid, that's what I remember. I couldn't imagine anyone in that situation, let alone a child. I was proud of Carl for bringing the little girl back with him. I was proud that he could go out in the world, unafraid, and strong. On the other hand, he was still my boy, my baby boy, and he's here for me to protect, and keep safe. I tried to keep everyone safe, I did for a long time, but somewhere down the road, everything fell apart. Now my son blames me for what happened, of course I don't blame him. I see that now, I should have done something more, but I couldn't protect them anymore. I had other responsibilities to my son and my d…. my… daughter. I was too weak, and I couldn't protect her, things were going to be different now. I still had Carl, and I'll be dammed if I let anything bad happen to him. I couldn't make any promises to him, and I couldn't guarantee he won't get hurt in this world, but from now on, I will make sure I do whatever I need to do so Carl is safe.<p>

I walked towards the house Carl directed me to. A large white wood house, and noticed the front door wide open. I lifted my knife, and walked inside. The whole place was pretty quiet, silent; I almost forgot what that sounded like.

"Hannah." I whispered. An image of Sophia briefly popped into my head, and I shook away the image. It was my fault Sophia was gone. "Hannah." I whispered out again. I wouldn't let that happen to Hannah, I will protect her too.

I heard crying coming from upstairs, and I raced up there, calling her name again, "Hannah." I followed the sobbing into a bedroom, I could tell from the décor it was the master bedroom at one point, there Hannah was, clutching a picture, curled up on a big four poster bed. "Hannah, why did you run away like that? It isn't safe out here." She looked at me and sniffled.

"I forgot what it was like to be around people, and I was afraid." Hannah sobbed, clutching the picture tightly to her chest.

"It's ok, you don't have to be afraid anymore. I will protect you."

"It isn't that, I've protected myself all this time."

"What is it then?" Rick asked gently.

"I don't want to see anyone else dying because of me." With that, Rick's eyes narrowed. What did that mean exactly?

"What do you mean, Hannah?"

"My parents fought all the time. After the flesh eaters came, Dad left me and mommy alone. Mommy died trying to protect me."


	5. Chapter 5

**So I'm back now, it's been a crazy week so far. My grandma's funeral was really nice, I think she would have really liked it. But that's not what you guys want to read about, you want to read the update, I know... and before you start reading, just know that I am so so sooooo sorry for what I had to do... I didn't want to do it, but it had to be done... for the story... I hope you will all understand.**

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><p><strong><em><span>Chapter Five<span>_**

"Hannah, I'm not going to pretend that life is good right now, or that life is easy. This is a new and ugly world. Everybody has lost someone, I lost my wife, and my daughter, all I have now is my son. I can't promise things will be easy if you come with me, but I can promise you won't be alone. I'm not going anywhere." That was all I needed to say, Hannah and I were walking back home …. "Hey," came a familiar voice behind me. I stopped in my tracks, almost afraid to turn around, but I did so…. Slowly.

"Michonne!" I whispered, I blinked a few times, not believing that she was standing there in front of me, but she was there. I embraced her, and held on as if she was the last person I would ever see. I couldn't have been happier in that moment, and a sense of lightness filled came over me. I knew we would be ok.

"Who this?" Michonne asked, "And where is Carl?" Panic filled her eyes. "Carl is fine; he's back at the house we are staying in. This is Hannah; she's been surviving on her own for a while now." After the introductions, I lead the way back to the house, but something was off.

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><p>I heard footsteps outside, and I knew it must have been Dad bringing Hannah back. I know I shouldn't have opened the door first, but I was excited. It would be nice having Hannah around, someone my own age I could talk to. I opened the door, and as I was about to take a step outside, I was pushed back in by a firm hand.<p>

"Well, well, well what do we have here boys?" The man was thin, but fit. Fear spread through me, as I reached for my gun, and raised it as fast as I could before pulling the trigger. I hit someone, but who? Just as I was about to turn and pull the trigger again, someone grabbed me, knocking my gun out of my hand. I struggled against them, seeing the body of one of them men laying on the floor.

"Now, why would you do something like that? Why not welcome some friendly folk in for a drink and something to eat?" The leader said.

"You can't just walk into my home and start stealing my food, now let me go!" I screamed.

"Now wait a minute. We did not steal anything. This isn't even your house now, is it? No, because... because you just shot and killed that man right there, and that's an offense…. Teach him boys."

They shoved me down to the floor. One of them sat on top of me, and pulled my hair so I was forced to look up at them. My gun was just out of my reach, but I still tried to grab it. They were laughing. I saw a fist raise above my head, before it connected to my face. Then nothing….

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><p><strong>Is Carl dead? <span><em>You ALL can decide that, how many reviews can I get? <em>Also yes, it was an extremely short chapter, but I wanted to get something out to you tonight. The next chapter will be a long one. **


	6. Chapter 6

**_Chapter Six_**

I woke up with a terrible headache and the smell of blood in my nose. I opened my eyes, and sat up, but my vision was blurred, and I was dizzy. That's when I felt a soft touch on my shoulder, and the sweetest voice I could hear, "Woah, slow down there cowboy. Lay down and take it easy for a minute, I'll get you some water." I must be dreaming, but I laid back down anyway, I blinked a few times trying to get my vision to clear up, and in a few seconds it did, and that's when I realized I wasn't dreaming, she was really there. "Michonne!" I said excitedly, and threw myself into her arms, hugging her tightly. "Hey now, take it easy. You need to rest a bit, you had it pretty rough yesterday."

"Yesturday? How long was I out for?"

"All of last night, and most of today; you're dad saved your life you know."

I tried to remember what happened, but I couldn't everything seemed so fuzzy. I remembered a few guys coming into the house… my gun… yeah… I shot one of them… but it gets really fuzzy after that… I looked up at Michonne, silently asking her what happened.

"You must have a concussion, but I'm going to let your dad know you're awake now, he's been worried about you."

"What happened?" I asked, Michonne sighed, but smiled, and touched my face softly.

"They started beating you, you're dad came in. One of the guys was on top of you, and you were limp, and bleeding. You're dad killed them all. Daryl was with them… he came back after he heard the gun shots."

"Daryl's alive? Is anyone else…"

"Shhh, just rest." I watched Michonne leave the room, and laid back down, and allowed the words to sink in. I was beaten, and bleeding? I wondered what I looked like. I struggled for a moment to get up, and stumbled to the bathroom, where I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I was indeed beat up. My lip was twice it's normal size. I had a black eye, and a cut across my cheek, and my jaw was bruised.

"I didn't want you to see that." I jumped slightly at my dad's words, and turned around. It wasn't until then that for the first time in a long time I felt like a little boy again. I was afraid, and hurt. I needed my dad, and I knew I had been acting like a jerk to him because of the prison. At the end, I was scared, and I needed him.

I ran into his arms, and wrapped my arms around his waist, something I hadn't done for a long time. I knew I needed to apologize to him now, and I did. "I'm sorry dad, for everything."

"It's ok, Carl. You're young, every boy goes through this. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me, I'm sorry for not protecting you."

"But you did, you saved my life." I buried my head into my dad's shoulder. Moments like these were rare. We didn't have time to grieve, or show emotion in this world. You had to be strong, and be a step ahead of everyone else. I thought I was, but when those guys came in, I knew I wasn't ready to take on this world without my dad, I still needed him, and I still had a lot to learn from him. "I love you, dad."

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><p>No one said it would be easy, living like this. It was hot out, and it hadn't rained for a while, so the water supply was short. We needed to get moving, get back on the road, and maybe find a car, and a more secure shelter, not that this house wasn't secure, because it was. The walkers were manageable, some days we would only see a few here and there, and it almost felt like the world could be normal again. It was the people that made this place hard to stay in. Daryl said there was more to the group that came here, said that they split up to hunt, and that by morning they would all meet up somewhere. Daryl said that once they found out that half of the group was dead, they would come looking for us, and they would kill us.<p>

I could hear dad, Daryl, and Michonne talking in the other room. They had to decide where we would go. I tried to sit up, but I was still dizzy, and when I moved suddenly I would puke. Dad and Michonne told me to just rest for now, but that wasn't who I was. I wanted to be included in their conversation, I wanted to see Daryl. I wanted to prove that I could still be strong.

"Hey, shouldn't you be resting?" Hannah's soft voice asked from the door way.

"Maybe… I should try to get up though." I argued, but Hannah sat next to me, a frown on her face.

"You need to rest. I just came in to say I'm sorry. If I hadn't run away your dad would have been here, and he could've helped you." Hannah started, taking the blame for what had happened.

"No, I think this happening brought me and my dad together in a way, so don't worry about it."

"You could've been killed, Carl." That's when I looked at her, in her eyes, everything changed then. I didn't understand this feeling. My fingers tingled, I wanted to touch her, or just hold her hand, I wanted to kiss her, just to feel what her lips felt like. It was more of a need, and I started to wonder if this was how Maggie and Glenn felt, and how my parents felt. I didn't even realize my hand was moving towards hers, until my fingertips brushed against her skin, making them tingle even more. Her eyes looked down to my hand, and I gulped back the lump in my throat. "Carl, what are you doing?" She whispered, and I had to confess, "I'm not sure." I pulled away, my mind racing, and my heart pounding, my head was spinning, and I wasn't sure if that was because of what happened, or if it was because of Hannah.

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><p><strong>Yay, Carl's alive! So I just want to say thank you to everybody who is reading this story, and following, it really means a lot to me. I have soooo many people following, but I'm not getting a whole lot of reviews, so this is chapter 6, so can I get at least 6 reviews for this chapter, and as soon as I do I will update with a new chapter. You guys are the best! Lots of reviews! :)<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

_Well I thought I would have had more reviews, but I guess not. Thank you to the few that do leave reviews, you guys are the reasons why I keep updating; even if the updates aren't as frequent as I want them to be. I hope you guys enjoy this update, and when you are down and when/ if you decide to review just add in the review who you think is in the woods with Daryl... personally I think it's Noah. You're thoughts are? _

_And also the part in italics during the chapter is a dream Carl is having..._

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><p><strong><em><span>Chapter Seven<span>_**

His touch was driving me crazy, it was as if he lit a fire on my hand, and it was traveling up my arm, up my neck, making my lips tingle, and filling my head with fireworks. Was this normal, maybe I was getting sick? When he pulled away I felt a twinge in my stomach, I wasn't sure what that meant, but I know I didn't want him to do that.

I sighed and leaned back, so my back was propped against the couch. My hair fell back, giving me a clear view of the room around me. There were dusty old book cases in front of me. There was a dirty old rug in the middle of the floor, a grandfather clock to my right, beds and couches spread across the room, one couch blocked the front door entrance. The whole room was a mess, and it continued to remind me that the outside world was not how it used to be, and that made me wonder even more. "Do you think this world will ever go back the way it used to be?" I asked, hoping for the answer that I so desperately wanted to hear. I didn't want to have to face the world knowing what lies ahead for all of us. "I don't know. I guess we have to have hope that one day, maybe it will, because if we don't have hope then what are we living for?" I picked my head up, and looked at Carl. His hat sitting next to him on the floor, his face showed of exhaustion and dirt. He was sitting close enough to me that I could feel his body heat against mine, only making the room seem hotter than it actually was. I licked my lips, and before I knew what I was doing, I was leaning into him. He leaned in closer to me as well, not sure what I was doing, or what would happen, I stayed still waiting for Carl to do something.

"Ahem."

The voice startled me, and I jumped back, my face felt as if I just pulled it out of a fire, and my heart was pounding so hard I knew the whole house could hear it. I adverted my eyes to my feet, not wanting to look at who had caught us.

"You better start packing up, we are going to be on the road in a little bit, oh and Carl, why don't you go upstairs and make sure there aren't any more comic books hiding anywhere." Michonne instructed. Carl nodded, and scurried off upstairs, leaving me and Michonne alone for the first time.

"Hannah, I'm here if you need anything, or if you need another girl to talk to."

I nodded, I wasn't sure if I could trust her or not, she was so intimidating. As for Daryl, I didn't trust him either, he seemed closed off, and like Michonne, very intimidating, not the kind of people I wanted to be around. Rick was ok, I trusted him, he helped me, and saved my life.

The sun was beginning to set, and that's when everybody came into what was once a living room, Rick had called for Carol to come down, and that he did, with a stack of comic books in his arms just like Michonne had asked from him. "What's going on?" Carl asked, eyeing everyone in the room.

"We will leave tomorrow at sun up. We are going to try to find a place that is secure enough for all of us. Maybe a place with fences, and a place where we can plant fruit and vegetables, we can settle down again, we can start over."

That night I couldn't sleep. I felt alone, and empty. My thoughts drifted back to the prison. We settled down, we had fences, we had a system, we had food, we were happy. I didn't want to argue with my dad about finding a new place to settle down, but deep down I knew it would never be the same as it was. I knew that it couldn't be the same; it was too bold on any of us to do such a thing. But there was still a small part of me, still filled with hope, and maybe… just maybe we could find a place where we could settle back down, maybe even rebuild the lives we used to have, heal from the damage, and start over.

_ I woke up to the warmth of the sun on my skin; it felt good, and warm. I lifted my arm up to block the sun from my eyes as I opened them. "Carl…. Carl... come inside for some lunch." Mom was calling out to me. I didn't realize how hungry I was until she mentioned food. I jumped up from the lawn and ran into the house were mom had made sandwiches, chips, and cut up watermelon and juice. My stomach growled at the sight, and I smiled up at my mom and thanked her. "But can we eat outside? Pleeeeeeaaasseeee!" I begged her. She smiled, and ran her fingers through my hair, ruffling it up like she always did. "Of course, I will just go get the blanket." I smiled, and waited until she had it, then I followed her outside with the food. We both sat down and started eating. I loved days like this, these were the best times for me, young and carefree, relaxed... happy. How peaceful the world was around us, and daddy would come home, and ruffle my hair, and place a kiss on my head, before kissing mommy, and steeling a potato chip from her plate, and she would pretend she didn't notice. But these dreams never lasted long… a dark, ugly cloud always seemed to interrupt. It was rolling in like with a thunderous stomp, filling the sky with its dreary color, and forcing us indoors. Rain soon followed, soaking everything in its vicinity, and locking us up until it decided to pass._


	8. Chapter 8

**_Chapter Eight_**

I woke up in a pool of sweat, and panting, my heart pounding against my chest. I needed some fresh air; everyone around me was still sleeping, which gave me plenty of time to go sit outside. I climbed up the stairs, and into one of the bedrooms, and opened the window. The warmth of the air around me mixed with the cool fresh night air hit my skin, it was a refreshing feeling. I climbed out onto the roof, and sat down. It was dark, and quiet, except for the chirping of crickets, and the occasional firefly that would light up. Everything was calm, and it was in that moment when I understood; the world really was dead, and there was no going back. This was the new world, one that you either conquer or perish in. I leaned back, and for the first time ever, I noticed how pretty the sky was at night. Living in Atlanta, you can't really see the stars, buildings light up the night, making it almost impossible, but now you can see all of them without a problem, because there is no light, it's just black.

"Can I sit?" I went for my knife before I realized who it was asking me, it was Hannah, and I was able to calm down a bit. She giggled, "Sorry if I scared you." She said, as she sat next to me. I nodded, and put my knife back in my pocket. "It's really beautiful out here." Hannah whispered, looking up at the stars, but then she turned her head to look at me. "Are you alright?" I looked at her, and noticed how much her eyes shined in the dark. I felt my heart beat quicken again, why did she do this to me? Maybe it wasn't her, but it only happens when she's around me. "I.. I'm fine." I managed to get out. I was thankful she didn't question me anymore, but instead, she scooted closer to me, and rested her head on my shoulder. I felt still and awkward, what was I supposed to do, put my arm around her, or just sit there. "When I couldn't sleep, or I would have bad dreams, or just be afraid I would always go sit on my roof and look at the stars, especially after my parents died. The stars remind me that there is still something beautiful in this world, it's not all ugly, and I think I've learned that more since I met you."

My face felt hot, almost as if I was sweating, I'm not sure when it happened, but somehow my arm found it's way around Hannah's waist, and I held her close to me. It felt comforting, and warm. "You're not alone anymore, Hannah. I'll always be here for you." Hannah pulled away from me, and looked at me again, shaking her head, "Don't make promises like that, not when you don't know when you will die. The only time we have is right now, and that's what we have to live for." Suddenly things made sense, and with a nod, I pulled her into me, my lips brushing against hers, and she gasped against my mouth. My hands trembled as I held her against me, I wasn't sure if I was doing this right or not. I remember seeing how my parents kissed, and seeing how Glenn and Maggie kissed, and how much they loved each other. I knew what my feelings were now. I loved Hannah, and she was right, all we had was right now, and I was going to take right now to show her what she meant to me, even if I had only known her for a couple of days.

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><p><strong><em>Well I think this might be the last chapter, not sure yet. Let me know with a review if you want another chapter, or if you think this is a good ending? And I just want to say a BIG thank you to everyone who reviewed, and followed my story, you guys are the best ever! <em>**

**_I am also planning to start writing another fic with Daryl/Carol and Daryl/ Beth. So watch for that. _**


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